About this quote

Confinement can become ordinary if you stop noticing the boundaries around you. At first you fight the limits, then habitual routines make them feel normal and you stop tracking what you gave up. Look for the small signs that you've settled and pick one concrete thing to change this week. Those small choices won't solve everything, but they remind you you still have options and control.

When to use it

• At my last review my manager wanted me to take on more unpaid projects, and I remembered that line so I said no — I won't make this my normal.
• After three years doing all the caregiving for Mom, I told my sister we needed to hire help because I couldn't just accept that forever.
• I was staying inside for months and treating the apartment like a cell, so I signed up for a morning walking group to break the routine.
• I kept postponing job applications and telling myself I'd do it later, then I used that line as a push and set two hours a day to apply.